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I'm astounded.

Marty Forrer

Marty Forrer

Sep 27, 2000
3,869
2,244
79
Napier, New Zealand.
#1
I've owned many 5 and 6 string basses, some cheap, some not. I've had a US Peavy Cirrus, MTD, Gibson era Tobias, Yamaha TRBs and BBs and Stingray. Some have been 34" and some 35" scale. I just bought a cheap chinese made Aria Pro II RSB 618/5 as a backup. It is 34" and even with the shipping strings, has the best B string I've ever played. I cannot believe it. It is totally focussed and totally balanced with the other strings. I checked the fret levelling, and it's perfect. I do not know if others of this model are like this or if I lucked into a magic one, but this is going to become my main bass. I have put Hipshot Ultralites, Dunlop straplocks and Dunlop nickel rounds on and will install a 3 band preamp soon. It cost me $364 new so I'm happy to spend money on it.
 
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#2
Marty Forrer said:
I've owned many 5 and 6 string basses, some cheap, some not. I've had a US Peavy Cirrus, MTD, Gibson era Tobias, Yamaha TRBs and BBs and Stingray. Some have been 34" and some 35" scale. I just bought a cheap chinese made Aria Pro II RSB 618/5 as a backup. It is 34" and even with the shipping strings, has the best B string I've ever played. I cannot believe it. It is totally focussed and totally balanced with the other strings. I checked the fret levelling, and it's perfect. I do not know if others of this model are like this or if I lucked into a magic one, but this is going to become my main bass. I have put Hipshot Ultralites, Dunlop straplocks and Dunlop nickel rounds on and will install a 3 band preamp soon. It cost me $364 new so I'm happy to spend money on it.
Click to expand...
Lots 'o Peeps here like 'em too!;)
Aria & Aria Pro II Club (Part Four)
 
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#5
Marty Forrer said:
I've owned many 5 and 6 string basses, some cheap, some not. I've had a US Peavy Cirrus, MTD, Gibson era Tobias, Yamaha TRBs and BBs and Stingray. Some have been 34" and some 35" scale. I just bought a cheap chinese made Aria Pro II RSB 618/5 as a backup. It is 34" and even with the shipping strings, has the best B string I've ever played. I cannot believe it. It is totally focussed and totally balanced with the other strings. I checked the fret levelling, and it's perfect. I do not know if others of this model are like this or if I lucked into a magic one, but this is going to become my main bass. I have put Hipshot Ultralites, Dunlop straplocks and Dunlop nickel rounds on and will install a 3 band preamp soon. It cost me $364 new so I'm happy to spend money on it.
Click to expand...

Dude, post the picture!:thumbsup:
 
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#9
In playing fives since the 80's, while I'm not much for using this or that wood for this or that tone, I have definitely proved to myself that the harder/stiffer the woods, both neck and body, the better the deepest notes along with everything else.

I can particularly think of two fives at wildly different price points I own(ed) that were at their heart Ash bodies and hard maple necks where the low C's and D's would just be there, to the point I could hear that low grind of the first several harmonics.

I'd be surprised if your Aria is not along these lines.

Are Arias stocked like other brands (Fender, etc.) in Oz and New Zealand? Since the 80's, their distribution in the USA has been spotty at best with more than a few different distributors since that time.

Congrats ! This is the mystery and aggravation of wood: It's not a consistent material, and once in a while, a particular bass will win big in the wood lottery and walks and talks way over its' price point.
 
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#11
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#12
el jeffe bass said:
A good instrument is a good instrument regardless the name on the headstock or the price on the tag. One of the best necks that I have played on a fender product is on my Squier SS Jag bass.
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I’ll +1 this. Had to be about ten years ago I played one and it was like 180 bucks for one back then and the neck was amazing. Squier will put out a gem here and there.
 
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#14
A shorter neck is stiffer when made to the same cross section - it's simple Physics. That means in terms of the bass's contribution to a good sounding low B, 34 is better than 35. To get the string to be at its best (which is the real issue), you need a string that's big enough - a good sounding B on a 34 is not rocket science, it just doesn't happen with the normal sets that the string makers offer for 5's - the B string is never big enough to get the same tension as the other strings. Why is your B string floppy? the STRING isn't big enough.

If you're using a 95 E (really light), a 130 B is the size string that matches that in terms of tension. For a 105 E, you need a 140 B. That 120 or 125 B string in the set you bought? that's the problem, not your bass or it's scale length.
 
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#17
upload_2023-11-26_20-27-11.gif
 
#19
Marty Forrer said:
I've owned many 5 and 6 string basses, some cheap, some not. I've had a US Peavy Cirrus, MTD, Gibson era Tobias, Yamaha TRBs and BBs and Stingray. Some have been 34" and some 35" scale. I just bought a cheap chinese made Aria Pro II RSB 618/5 as a backup. It is 34" and even with the shipping strings, has the best B string I've ever played. I cannot believe it. It is totally focussed and totally balanced with the other strings. I checked the fret levelling, and it's perfect. I do not know if others of this model are like this or if I lucked into a magic one, but this is going to become my main bass. I have put Hipshot Ultralites, Dunlop straplocks and Dunlop nickel rounds on and will install a 3 band preamp soon. It cost me $364 new so I'm happy to spend money on it.
Click to expand...
Aria makes great instruments!
 
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